Namu Crisis Spreads to Shendam, Casualty Now 120

Reports had it that after the initial attack by the Pan people on their Gomai neighbours, Gomai, who are more in number, regrouped and launched a reprisal attack.

Gomai youths were said to have started setting houses belonging to Pan people ablaze, and killing those in sight, thereby making control of the situation more difficult since the fracas was no longer restricted to Namu.

The escalation is inspite of a tour of the zone by Governor Joshua Dariye yesterday, where he sued for peaceful co-existence, warning that those behind the killings would be brought to book.

It is, however, not clear if he would carry out his threat of holding traditional rulers in areas where there are uprisings accountable for breach of peace in their domain.

THISDAY gathered that apart from arrest of some miscreants and alleged ring leaders, some local government big wigs suspected to have been the brains behind the violence have been arrested

The Joint task Force dispatched to the area to keep peace is still there working to restore peace, and were alleged to have suffered some casualties too.

Speaking to THISDAY after the tour, Commissioner of Information, Mr Yakubu Datti, said Dariye was accompanied by the Gbom Gwom Jos, Dr Victor Pam, General Officer Commanding Three Armoured Division, Major General Ishaku Dikko Yusuf, and other security chiefs.

He said they went to Shendam general hospital, where six people were receiving treatment and had their bills taken over by the government. They also visited the Barracks in Shendam, where 60 displaced people were seen and the government took over responsibility for their upkeep.

The Joint Task Force paraded 10 people arrested in Namu, fwhile another two said to be ring leaders were arrested and kept at the barracks.

He denied the spread of the fracas to Shendam, pointing out that the governor met with the Long Gomai, Hubert Shedrack, who he charged to ensure peace.

He assured that some traditional rulers would be punished for the breach of peace in their domains.

Datti said he could not give any casualty figures, as the police was in charge of that but assured that the situation was under control while details on government reaction would be made known later.